Despite nabbing his first All-Star and All-NBA nod while posting career-high averages virtually all across the board during the regular season, heading into the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Jalen Williams' long-term status with the OKC Thunder was still surprisingly being brought into question.
From concerns about on-court inconsistencies to his seeming inability to step up and shoulder the offensive workload without the help of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, many questioned whether the 24-year-old was the right fit to serve as a top-two option on a title-contending team.
Some even feared that GM Sam Presti might consider executing a trade this summer in an eerily similar vein to the James Harden deal circa 2012.
Excitingly enough, throughout their ongoing postseason run, J-Dub has regularly found himself quieting some of this type of chatter with his impressive performances.
His play on Monday night, however, may have officially silenced these foolish rumblings for good, as the wing undoubtedly served as the driving force in the Thunder's 120-109 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Jalen Williams erased all questions regarding his future with Thunder
Williams came out of the gates aggressive and eager to show out during Game 5 of the NBA Finals, as he was directly responsible (assists and individual scoring) for eight of Oklahoma City's first 15 points scored against the Indiana Pacers.
Clearly in an all-out attack mode, the third-year stud saw 10 of his 16 first-half points, and 18 of his playoff career-high 40 points on the night come at the rim, while boasting overall shooting splits of 56.0 percent from the floor, 60.0 percent from deep, and 75.0 percent from the foul line.
In the process, he has now become just the fifth player in 40 seasons to score 25 or more points in three straight games in the NBA Finals
Of course, Williams' impact was not just felt in the scoring department, but, frankly, all over the map. He finished out his 35 minutes of action with 6 rebounds, 4 assists, and a steal while playing stellar all-around defense and finishing with the game's highest plus-minus of +14.
Over these past few games of the title round, Williams's efforts have all but solidified his status as a seamless sidekick next to SGA.
However, with his brilliant performance during Monday's contest, Jalen officially shed the Robin label and showed the world that, at the very least, he's more of a Nightwing-type talent for this Thunder team, and deserves to serve in such a role for the long haul.
As a result, OKC now finds itself one win away from their first championship of the Sooner State-era.